US Ambassador pays tribute to April 9 victims in Tbilisi

The United States Ambassador to Georgia, Robin Dunnigan, has honoured the memory of those who died during the tragic events of April 9, 1989, by laying flowers at a memorial on Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi.

Ambassador Dunnigan arrived at the April 9 Memorial early in the day, where she was welcomed with applause by citizens gathered at the site. The Ambassador did not make any public comments while at the site.

Dozens of Georgians spent the night near the Parliament building to mark the anniversary. Some participants held symbolic prayers for the souls of those who lost their lives and took an oath in their memory, continuing to maintain a quiet vigil at the site.

The April 9 tragedy remains a pivotal moment in Georgia’s modern history. In 1989, Soviet troops violently dispersed a peaceful pro-independence demonstration in Tbilisi, resulting in the deaths of at least 21 people and hundreds injured.